idle
the state of an engine or other mechanism that is idling
- the car engine was running at idle
• Hypernyms:
operation
1. run disconnected or idle (Freq. 2)
- the engine is idling
• Syn:
tick over
• Ant:
run
• Verb Frames:
- Something ----s
2. be idle;
exist in a changeless situation (Freq. 1)
- The old man sat and stagnated on his porch
- He slugged in bed all morning
• Syn:
laze, slug, stagnate
• Ant:
work
• Derivationally related forms:
stagnation (for: stagnate), stagnancy (for: stagnate), slug (for: slug), sluggard (for: slug), idler, idling
• Hyponyms:
moon, moon around, moon on, ride the bench, warm the bench,
daydream, bum, bum around, bum about, arse around, arse about,
fuck off, loaf, frig around, waste one's time, lounge around, loll,
loll around, lounge about, lie about, lie around
• Verb Frames:
- Somebody ----s
1. not in action or at work (Freq. 4)
- an idle laborer
- idle drifters
- the idle rich
- an idle mind
• Ant:
busy
• Similar to:
bone-idle, bone-lazy, faineant, indolent, lazy,
otiose, slothful, work-shy, lackadaisical, leisured, unengaged
• See Also:
ineffective, uneffective, ineffectual, unemployed
• Derivationally related forms:
idleness
2. without a basis in reason or fact (Freq. 1)
- baseless gossip
- the allegations proved groundless
- idle fears
- unfounded suspicions
- unwarranted jealousy
• Syn:
baseless, groundless, unfounded, unwarranted, wild
• Similar to:
unsupported
• Derivationally related forms:
idleness
3. not in active use (Freq. 1)
- the machinery sat idle during the strike
- idle hands
• Syn:
unused
• Similar to:
inactive
• Derivationally related forms:
idleness
4. silly or trivial
- idle pleasure
- light banter
- light idle chatter
• Syn:
light
• Similar to:
frivolous
• Derivationally related forms:
lightness (for: light)
5. lacking a sense of restraint or responsibility
- idle talk
- a loose tongue
• Syn:
loose
• Similar to:
irresponsible
• Derivationally related forms:
looseness (for: loose)
6. not yielding a return
- dead capital
- idle funds
• Syn:
dead
• Similar to:
unprofitable
7. not having a job
- idle carpenters
- jobless transients
- many people in the area were out of work
• Syn:
jobless, out of work
• Similar to:
unemployed
• Derivationally related forms:
idleness
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